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US Blocks Imports From Chinese Laptop Maker Tied to Lenovo, Google

Supplier Hefei Bitland is among the Chinese manufacturers using 'state-sponsored forced labor' at internment camps dedicated to persecuting the Uyghur Muslim minority in China, according to federal officials.

Michael Kan
 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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The US will start blocking laptop imports from a Chinese manufacturer accused of using forced labor at internment camps in China to build products. 

On Monday, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced it would begin confiscating imports from Hefei Bitland, a laptop and smartphone manufacturer that once publicly counted Lenovo and Google as its customers.

According to federal officials, Hefei Bitland is among the Chinese manufacturers that has been using “state-sponsored forced labor” at internment camps dedicated to persecuting the Uyghur Muslim minority in China. Human rights groups and journalists estimate as many as one million Uyghurs have been detained in the internment program, which is focused on “re-education” and using inmates as a source of low-cost labor. 

“The Trump Administration will not stand idly by and allow foreign companies to subject vulnerable workers to forced labor while harming American businesses that respect human rights and the rule of law,” said Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan in today’s announcement. 

The news arrives as Lenovo recently imported 258,000 laptops from Hefei Bitland, including Chromebooks bound for US schools, according to The Intercept, which reviewed the shipping records. 

Google and Lenovo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the CBP’s action. But according to the Associated Press, Lenovo told custom officials in July it was no longer building products at Hefei Bitland manufacturing sites. This came after the US Commerce Department also sanctioned Bitland for taking part in the forced labor activities. As a result, US companies are barred from exporting technology to the manufacturer unless they receive government approval.

According to Hefei Biland’s website, the Chinese company also struck partnerships with HP, in addition to Foxconn, the world’s largest contract supplier for electronics. But HP told PCMag, Hefei Bitland Information Technology is not a direct supplier.

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“We have robust policies in place to protect human rights and prohibit the use of involuntary labor of any kind across our supply chain,” HP said. “We are committed to ensuring everyone in our supply chain is treated with dignity and respect."

Along with the imports from Hefei Bitland, the CBP also plans to block imports for hair products, processed cotton, and apparel gear from three other Chinese manufacturers. How federal officials tied the companies to the forced labor activities wasn’t entirely made clear, but the agency says it relied on a “variety of sources, including the general public.”

An estimate from an Australian think tank claims at least 82 well-known brands have also directly or indirectly benefited from the use of Uyghur workers possibly as forced laborers.

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About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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